UNDERPINNING OPERATION: ANOTHER BUILDING COLLAPSE AVERTED -Engr. Osaz' Enobakhare

UNDERPINNING OPERATION: ANOTHER BUILDING COLLAPSE AVERTED by Engr. Osaz' Enobakhare

In my decade of practice, I have seen that most buildings or structures that have been poorly built across the country have been those that suffered from either owner-contractor syndrome (OCS), the multi-contracting approach or the sentimental management model. This prevails due to the absence or lack of enforcement of an effective regulatory system for the industry. While owner-contractor syndrome simply refers to the system where the project owner who is not a construction professional doubles as the contractor or the direct handlers of their project or directly overbears on the activities of the project handlers, the multi-contracting approach happens when project owners engage too many hands on the job without proper co-ordination or construction management system in place. 

The sentimental approach is very common especially with project owners based abroad where they are either by virtue of personal relationships or other reasons than merit or professionalism compelled to engage persons in the handling of their project who simply have no business doing so -the outcome is quite often a mess! You hear things like -My in-law or my cousin was the one handling my project, then you discover the in-law or cousin being referred to is only a stylist, a banker or perhaps a travel agent. Yes ‘trust issues’, I can relate but then the building begins to strike an awkward pose causing funny stares from passers-by, the columns seem to be ‘travelling away’ from the building frame, the bulging walls make people wonder if money was stacked inside them and suddenly you remember that a professional broker is not the same as a professional builder and that construction professionals are just few blocks away.

Having been involved with a couple of underpinning operations to save buildings from imminent collapse or sick building syndrome (SBS), these aforementioned items are often the predominant causes of poor-quality jobs that liter our landscape. Since the deed have been done, we cannot be crying over spilt milk. There are quite several buildings begging for urgent attention before they finally ‘bow to the cold hands of collapse’. What do we do? We save them like we have done in Ketu, Gbagada, Lakowe, Victoria Island, Lekki, Ajah, Magodo, Arepo etc. How about you know that sometimes these building begin to fail or show signs of weaknesses or symptoms of SBS even before they are completed or occupied? This is often the best time to solve them. Once occupied there is another dimension to it, but it can still be done. Differential, tipping or excessive settlements are common issues with most of the defective buildings I have worked on, and my team and I have dealt successfully with all cases handled. In all, we have saved several lives and properties or investments worth millions of dollars. Before embarking on the structural salvation journey, it is important to first understand and appreciate the root cause of the defect so that you know the right approach to solving it.

Underpinning operations require expertise, and a defective building can be returned to normalcy to meet its original life span. The cost of underpinning is generally not as expensive as demolishing and putting up a new structure and flip and sell developers can see an opportunity here -few are already taking advantage of it but that’s a discussion for another day.

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WHY THE SUDDEN FIXATION ON FLIP AND SELL PROPERTIES IN NIGERIA?

 Why The Sudden Fixation on Flip and Sell Properties In Nigeria? - Osaz' Enobakhare 

If wishes were houses, tenants would lord.

If you live where I live, you are likely to have one or two old or ‘moribund’ buildings on your street and sometimes you wish something could be done about them at least to improve their appearance; you may also worry about the health of the occupants, if occupied and for construction professionals like me, the health of the building itself.

There is barely undeveloped land in the core city centers yet most people’s dream is to live and work there; even the communities in proximity are largely occupied and bare land is scare there too. When working from home doesn’t apply to you, the other cool option would be to work closer home. Before now there was a crave for working far from home, so you don’t get too familiar with your work environment and become bored. You want to drive or ride through different routes or use the public transport systems while you enjoy the scenery as you travel to and from work on workdays -there seem to be a special inspiration or spice that comes from/with it. Today the cost of living is on the rise, not often commensurate with income levels, and people are very weary of spending large chunk of their income on transportation; then the other risk factors and if you live in a city like Lagos, the unpredictable and seemingly unexplainable and frustrating traffic. Smart developers are catching in on these opportunities to flip old houses and sell them to the teeming population who still want to live very close to where the good paying jobs are -the city centers because the interests in those properties are often more direct and thus easily closable than in areas where there are a lot of options.

Another reason developers are keen on the flip and sell model these days is the shorter time of completion of such projects especially at a time when the cost of financing is high. If you are lucky to find one that won’t require you to demolish the entire structure, bravo! You can complete in few months and sell at an incredible price. The cost of renovating or remodeling an existing building is generally far lower than building from scratch. It is also faster and cheaper, from experience to process a renovation permit than a building permit. Having been directly involved in flip and sell projects from scratch, I can tell you for sure that after completion it is almost impossible to tell that those buildings were once old and dilapidated -that’s if you work with the right team. We have flipped a very dilapidated abandoned residential building into a very classy and highly functional hotel in Lagos in barely six months that sold for more than double the cost involved in purchasing and flipping it. Investors can buy defective buildings at relatively cheap ‘distress sale’ price in sweet locations and flip them into spectacles to behold -sold off before they are even completed.

Furthermore, an operation called ‘underpinning’ can help strengthen an existing foundation by adding weight to it or taking it to a more stable depth without having to demolish the building and it doesn’t really cost as much as demolishing the building and putting up a new structure. This way you can take advantage of the newly strengthened foundation to add a floor or two to an existing building as the structural strength permits but you must engage a professional structural engineer especially one with such expertise. Developers understand that an increase in the number of floors or units normally translates to an increase in the property value.

In Lagos for instance, while you sleep, flip-and-sell properties are springing up in Oworonshoki, Surulere, Yaba, Ikoyi, Lagos Island, Ikeja GRA, Ogudu, Omole, Oshodi, Magodo, Berger and environs because of their proximity to the commercial districts of Victoria Island, Lekki and Ikeja as applicable.

Osaz’ Enobakhare also manages real estate investment portfolios for foreign and local investors through or in partnership with his company -Heavens Group. He is open to more partnerships in real estate development across the world and opportunities to co-create large construction and real estate footprints in the metaverse. +2347001113333 / engineerosaz@gmail.com

How To Obtain Layout Approval And Building Plan Permit For Your Estate - Engr. Osaz’ ENOBAKHARE

Having a Global C of O for an estate is not the same as an approval for that estate as unsuspecting property shoppers are often cajoled to believe. The Global C of O like every other land titles actually pertains to the land not necessarily the structures or activities on that land. Some estate owners are either unaware of this fact or choose to deliberately ignore it thereby putting subscribers at a great financial and ownership risk. There are reported cases where built-up Estates have been demolished due to lack of estate layout approval and building permits and people have lost millions and their beautiful homes. To secure a full estate layout approval and building permit for your estate (especially in Lagos), follow these simple steps;

-         Get a perimeter survey – a perimeter survey will capture the distance round that estate from a reference point back to that point. It will ultimately show the total area of the estate as well as the length, breadth and overall shape of the estate land including adjourning features like roads, water bodies, etc. The survey is prepared by a Land Surveyor. Traditionally all survey plans are lodged at the office of the surveyor-general. In order to regularize this survey, you will be required to pay certain processing fees; part of which will be used to obtain the beacon sheet from the relevant office. The perimeter survey is needed for the next stage which is to plot out the estate layout.

-         Plot the estate layout – every estate should have a layout. This layout shows the entire positioning and arrangement of structures and infrastructure on the estate land together with the topography and other essential features. It is traditionally the function of a Town Planner to prepare this document. The Estate Layout is different from an Estate Plan which is prepared by an architect. In a typical layout drawing, you see various blocks carrying different colors each having a distinct meaning. Medium-density zones are so identified, so are low-density and high-density areas. The same also applies to core residential zones, commercial and mixed areas. After preparing the layout, the next phase will be to submit the layout for government approval.

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-         Submit the layout drawings for approval – Once the layout is submitted for approval, it goes through a process of scrutiny to determine whether the purpose of use of the land is in sync with the already established zoning requirement. The arrangement of spaces within the estate is also checked for consistencies with established planning regulations in that city. If there are discrepancies, it might not be approved. Occasionally, it is returned for corrections or adjustments. If successful, the estate is now officially recognized. Next line of action will be to apply for building approval/permit. To get this process underway, you would have to prepare the required designs.

-         Prepare the architectural and engineering drawings – You would have to engage a registered architect in preparing the architectural drawings of the entire buildings in the estate. He would be required to apply his/her ARCON stamp and seal to the drawings as so required. Then the structural engineer will prepare the structural drawings. He would present it along with a letter of supervision or engineering report where applicable. A professional builder can also present a letter of supervision with regards to building projects with his/her CORBON seal affixed. The other engineering drawings are prepared by the relevant engineers usually the Mechanical and Electrical Engineers. A comprehensive soil test report from which the structural design would derive basic foundation design parameters would also be required.

-         Submit your building drawings for approval - Armed with all the relevant building drawings, signed, stamped and sealed, you approach the planning authority to obtain approvals. You will be required to pay processing and approval fees. In the course of this approval, all the drawings would be scrutinized for consistencies with the relevant codes of practice and statutory regulations. A physical inspection of the site would also be carried out. The aim will be to compare the paper work with actual site conditions. If satisfied, an approval will be given with an approval number issued. Where the estate has been partially or fully developed prior to filing for approvals, an engineering report will be required which will certify that the buildings are fit for habitation after a non-destructive integrity test ‘’NDT’’ has been carried out. 

It is very important to obtain the layout and building drawings and approvals for your estate in order to avert the risk of losing your property. You can contact the author for further discussions.